Cigarette case



Jury 8, 1969 v l.. F. PLASKAN 3,454,151

CIGARETTE CASE Filed April 19. 1968 .ATTozNg United States Patent O 3,454,151 CIGARETTE CASE Laurance F. Plaskan, West Bend, Wis., assignor to Amity Leather Products Co., West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 722,619 Int. Cl. A24f 15/00; B65d 85/10, 85/12 U.S. Cl. 206-41 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette case for housing packages of cigarettes, the case being longitudinally expandable to predetermined extents to accommodate cigarette packages of different lengths.

Related applications The present application is related to co-pending United States patent application Ser. No. 681,409, tiled Nov. 8, 1967, now Patent No. 3,395,787, in the name of Laurance F. Plaskan.

Background It has heretofore been customary to provide cigarette cases for receiving and housing an entire package of cigarettes. Generally, such cases are matched to other accessories such as billfolds. French purses or clutches, lighters, key and glass cases and the like. Accordingly, it is desirable to design these cigarette cases as attractively and -appealingly as possible.

In recent years, cigarettes have been manufacturd in a variety of sizes. Thus, the packages to be accommodated by this type of cigarette case now vary from the so-called regular size to king size or long, or even to extral long. This has presented the problem of either furnishing cases of different sizesto accommodate each type of cigarette or designing a case which may be converted for use with all types.

Since these cigarette cases and their matched accessories are commonly purchased for presentation as gifts with the donor frequently being unaware of the type or size of the cigarettes smoked by the donee, and since even the whims of the purchaser may change in instances wherein the cases are purchased for individual personal use, there is very little sales -appeal for cigarette cases designed for use with only a single type or size of cigarette.

It has therefore also been proposed to provide a single all-purpose cigarette case for accommodating packages of various sizes. For example, in some instances, it has been proposed to provide a case of suicient length to receive and house cigarette packages of the longest available length and provide a filler functioning as a removable false bottom or bottoms for use with shorter packages. In other instances, it has been proposed to provide a case of suicient length to accommodate the longest available packages and provide a hinged shelf or the like manipulable to function as a spacer when the case is used with shorter packages. However, such cases are, for the most part, objectionably bulky, complicated, restrictive in use and application, and/or diicult to convert.

The above-mentioned objections and disadvantages have recently been obviated by the provision of a single allpurpose cigarette case wherein the case or housing for the package of cigarette is formed of a pair of telescopic members to thereby permit longitudinal expansion of the housing to accommodate packages of ditferent lengths. Such structure is shown and described in the co-pending application hereinabove identified, and by providing a cigarette case which is thus expandable, the need for "ice using false bottoms or fillers, hinged shelf-forming members and the like has been completely eliminated. Furthermore, sets of matched accessories may be merchandised with only a single all-purpose cigarette case and without need for offering a choice of different case sizes.

Summary It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a case of the telescopically expansible type for receiving and housing packages of cigarettes of various sizes wherein the telescopic members are effectively guided for free relative movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a highly attractive telescopically expandable cigarette case adapted to receive cigarette packages of various lengths wherein the telescopic members may be readily fabricated and quickly and easily assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and highly attractive all-purpose cigarette case having a telescopically expansible or contractable bottom which is guided in its movement at a plurality of spaced areas extending along the opposite walls.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a cigarette case adapted for telescopic expansion and contraction for receiving and housing cigarette packages of various lengths wherein the relatively movable housing forming members are guided between positioning stops in a manner which minimizes eccentric binding and frictional resistance.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

The drawings A clear conception of the improvements constituting the present invention and of the mode of producing and utilizing cigarette cases constructed in accordance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specication wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the several views.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view taken from the front, side and top of a typical cigarette case embodying the invention, a part of the decorative outer cover being broken away to reveal normally concealed structure and with the case being shown in its longitudinally extended position and with the cover open;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective View of the cigarette case taken from the rear, side and top, and with a part of the decorative outer cover again being broken away but with the cover closed; i

FIGURE 3 is a transverse section taken along an irregular line intersecting the longitudinal guide slot in the front wall and one of the cooperating guide and positioning slots in the rear wall and showing the case in expanded condition;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to that of FIGURE 3 but with the case contracted with the bottom forming section nested within the main body section;

FIGURE 5 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 5-5 of FIGURE 4 with a portion of the outer cover and a portion of the tubular main housing section being broken away to reveal normally concealed structure;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary transverse section taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is another fragmentary transverse section taken along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 5 but showing the guide and stop detent of the bottom forming member in a position intermediate the ends of the guide and positioning slot of the main body member.

Detailed description Referring to the drawing, the cigarette case disclosed therein as embodying the invention comprises, in general, a pair of telescopic tubular members 10, 12 cooperating to provide a longitudinally expandable housing for cigarette packages of different sizes. As shown, the outer telescopic member is provided with a cover 14 hinged to an end of the read wall thereof as at 16 to provide access to the interior of the expandable case. The inner tubular member 12, in turn, is provided with a bottom closure 18 to prevent displacement of the cigarette package from the case upon insertion thereof through the upper access opening.

The tubular member 10 thus forms the main body portion of the case and may be made of a predetermined length corresponding, for example, to that of regular size cigarettes, and both the outer tubular member 10 and the cover 14 may be formed of plastic or other moreor-less resilient material. The tubular member 10 may furthermore be covered with a leather or fabric covering 20 for decorative purposes and, generally, to match other accessories intended to provide a complete ensemble. The exible outer covering 20 may be secured to the outer tubular member 10 adhesively or in any other suitable manner, and this covering 20 may contain any desired decorative matter.

The telescopic inner member 12 which is provided with the bottom wall 18 may also be formed of any suitable material but is preferable to form this member of thin sheet metal since the member 12 should be such as not to interfere with the insertion of a cigarette package into the case. As shown, it is furthermore preferable to reduce the thickness of the wall of the outer tubular member 10 within the area of telescopic movement of the inner member 12 as shown by the reference numeral 24 to reduce the possibility of interference with the insertion of a cigarette package.

To guide the telescopic inner member 12 in its longitudinal movement while preventing complete displacement thereof from the outer telescopic member 10, one of the members 10, 12 is formed with an elongated slot 26 extending longitudinally in one of its side walls, and vthe other member 10, 12 is provided with a tab or projection 28 on its corresponding side wall, the projection 28 being receivable in and slidable along the slot 26 to thereby guide the members in their longitudinal movement. Also, to provide means for positively locating and retaining the telescopic members 10, 12 in predetermined positions of longitudinal adjustment, the opposite side wall of one of these members 10, 12 is provided with at least one set of longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32, and the corresponding wall of the other member is formed with a detent or abutment 34 selectively engagable with the apertures 30, 32.

In actual practice, it is preferable to form the elongated slot 26 as well as the longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 in opposite walls of the outer tubular member 10 with the guide and stop 28 and with positioning abutment 34 being formed on the walls of the inner tubular member 12. It is also preferable to locate the slot 26 centrally of its side wall, and to provide two pairs of the longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 located adjacent to the opposite ends of the side Wall on either side of the centerline.

Generally, the cigarette case thus described corresponds to the basic structure disclosed in the co-pending application hereinabove identified. However, in accordance with the present invention, improved guide and stop or positioning means are provided ro the relatively movable telescopic members. Such improvements are best illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 7 inclusive, and by reason of the improvements, binding and resultant resistance to movement such as may be caused by eccentricity, misalignment and/ or inaccurate mating or matching of parts or the like has been minimized. Also, fabrication and assembly operations have been expedited.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 2 to 7, it will be noted that the longitudinally spaced apertures 30, 32 of each set are elongated in a direction transverse to the plane of movement of the detents or abutments 34, and each set of apertures 30, 32 are medially interconnected -by a slot 40 which are parallel to the slot 26 in the opposite wall. In turn, the copperating detents or abutments 34 are each formed with a medial guide portion 42 of greater depth or outward displacement from the plane of the adjacent side wall than the stop or positioning portions 44.

Thus, with the housing forming members 10, 12 properly assembled as shown in FIGURE 1, the inner bottom forming member 12 is telescopically nested in the area 24 defined by the wall portion of reduced thickness of the outer tubular member 10. Accordingly, in use, it is only necessary to insert the package of cigarettes through the upper access opening of the tubular member 10, and if the cigarettes are of a length corresponding to the length of the case in its contracted condition, there will be no disturbance of the bottom forming tubular member 12, the cigarettes being readily accessible upon opening of the cover 14. However, if the cigarettes inserted within the case are of a longer size, the tubular member 12 will be slidably forced to expand the case as shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3 merely by insertion of the package and the exertion of sufficient force to expand the case. Again, the cigarettes will then be readily available whenever desired upon opening of the cover 14, and the case may obviously be readily contracted.

During telescopic movement of the bottom forming member 12 relative to the member 10 the detent or tongue 28 is guided in the slot 26, and simultaneously, the medial guide portions 42 of each detent are guided in their respective slots 40. Since the cooperating guide means are formed in opposing walls and since one of these walls is formed with laterally spaced guide means, the possibility of eccentric loading or misalignment is minimized, and since the member 12 is formed of relatively thin resilient sheet material, the overhanging side portions of each slot 40 is permitted to flex, as shown in FIGURE 7, to accommodate the side or wing stop portions 44 of the detents 34. When the members 10, 12 have been contracted or extended to the proper length for the package to be housed in `the case, further movement is arrested by cooperative action of the tongue 2S, slot 26, shoulder 48 at the end of reduced wall portion 24, detents 34 and apertures 30, 32.

In actual practice, the improved cigarette case is formed as shown and as described herein with the tubular main body portion 10 and integral hinged cover 14 being formed of plastic and with an integral latch member 50 formed on the upper end of the tubular member for cooperation with the cover, the latch being operable to open the same merely by depressing the side Wall adjacent the member 50. The body forming member 12 is formed of thin sheet metal by means of punches and dies in a well known anner, the detents 28, 34 may be punched directly from the sheet metal forming the member 12. However, it should be understood that `the members may be formed of any suitable material and that more than two stop or positioning apertures 30, 32 may be provided in each set. Various other modications may also be made in the assemblage without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it should be understood that various descriptive terminology used herein should be given the broadest possible interpretation consistent with the disclosure.

I claim:

1. A cigarette case comprising, a pair of telescopic tubular members providing a longitudinally expandable housing for cigarette packages of dierent sizes, a cover for selectively closing and opening an end of one of said members, the end of the other member remote from said cover being closed, one of said members having a slot extending longitudinally along one of its side walls and the other member having a projection on its corresponding side wall receivable in and slidable along said slot to guide said members in their telescopic movement, at least one set of longitudinally spaced positioning apertures in the side wall of one of said members remote from the slotted wall, and an abutment on the corresponding wall of the other member selectively engagable with the apertures to retain said tubular members in predetermined positions of longitudinal adjustment, the positioning apertures of each set being joined by a longitudinal slot for guiding the respective abutment during telescopic movement of said tubular members.

2. A cigarette case according to claim 1, wherein the spaced positioning apertures of each set are elongated in a direction transverse to the plane of telescopic movement of the tubular members, and the slot joining each set of positioning apertures intersects the same medially thereof.

3. A cigarette case according to claim 2, wherein the abutment engagable with each set of positioning apertures is similarly ltransversely elongated and has a medial portion projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent side portions for reception in the guide slot joining the apertures.

4. A cigarette case according `to claim 3, wherein the tubular member in which the positioning apertures are located is formed of resilient material to thereby permit ilexing of the portions of the wall between the spaced 6 positioning apertures of each set and adjacent the guide slot joining the same.

5. A cigarette case according to claim 3, wherein the longitudinal guide slot is formed in the medial portion of a side wall of the outer tubular member and the two sets of laterally spaced positioning apertures are formed in the opposite side wall of the outer tubular member with the guide projection and positioning abutments being formed on opposite side walls of the inner tubular mem-ber.

6. A cigarette case according to claim 3, wherein the wall of the outer tubular member is of reduced thickness for a portion of its length and the inner tubular member is telescopically confined within the wall portion of reduced thickness.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1963 Corey 206-41 1/ 1904 Fisher. 

